


Ruairí Has a Moment

by Ruination Not Ruined (mauvemacabre)



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Gen, Songfic, also he's a he/him lesbian, is ruairi my grishasona?, this is a little preview for my planned short story series, you bet he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23407555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mauvemacabre/pseuds/Ruination%20Not%20Ruined
Summary: Inej finds her crew's resident Tidemaker having a little bit of a mental breakdown.
Kudos: 4





	Ruairí Has a Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Song is Bones in the Ocean by The Longest Johns. Give it a listen if you're interested in sad sea shanties.
> 
> Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVkD4lgXTEU

Ruairí had tucked himself between a few boxes on the deck, not an unusual sight. But his sudden disappearance had unnerved the rest of the crew, who was used to his constant singing and boisterous voice during storms like this. While he was still keeping the waves calm enough around the ship that there was no fear of it capsizing so they all knew he wasn't missing in action, the sudden quiet was unlike him. It was only once Inej had approached him that she could realize what had caused the strange disappearance of their Tidemaker. He was singing as normal, but it was quieter than normal, buried under the wind. His gaze held distant over the waves, and the solemn tone of the song only gave him away.

_"...To search for my long-ago forgotten friends,_

_To search for the place I hear all sailers end._

_As the souls of the dead fill the space of my mind,_

_I'll search without sleeping 'till peace I can find. I fear not the weather,_

_I fear not the sea._

_I remember the fallen, do they think of me?_

_When their bones in the ocean forever will be._

_Plot a course thro' the night to a place I once knew,_

_To a place where my hope died along with my crew._

_So I swallow my grief and face life's final test_

_To find promise of peace and the solace of rest._

_As the songs of the dead fill the space of my ears—_

_Their laughter like children, their beckoning cheers._

_My heart longs to join them, sing songs of the sea._

_I remember the fallen, do they think of me?_

_When their bones in the ocean forever will be…"_

"It wasn't your fault…" It's all Inej can say, trying not to think of how she would've felt if she were the only one to escape the Ice Court or the heist's aftermath. She can hear the lyrics die in Ruairí's throat as they jolt at her sudden appearance. The Kaelish woman looks up at her from where he's tucked between the crates, his crying almost hidden by the rain, only given away by the reddening of his eyes. "But I could've done more. If I wasn't scared of…" The rest of the sentence chokes out as they turn to stare back out at the ocean.

"If I wasn't too scared of being caught and sold, I could've capsized the other boat. I could've protected my crew— _my family_." Inej sits on one of the crates and joins him in staring at the water. She had a brief thought of how fitting Ruairí's gift for controlling the tumultuous waves was as she tried to find the words to comfort him.

Instead, he cut her off. "Let me guess, I should say _mati en sheva yelu_?" The sudden comment made her pause, and then laugh. He had turned back to her, and despite the pain still showing on his face, he was smiling. "Don't worry. It won't. That fear's long gone."

There was a silence as he pushed himself to stand. Momentarily the two stared at each other, which Inej broke with "You pronounced it wrong."

"Damn it! Is it my accent? I thought for sure I got it this time!"

And there he is. Inej wondered if he was actually ready to bounce back, or if he was going back to his usual façade to keep her from worrying. Though she's also not the one who would get to see which it was, that ability seemed to belong to the newest crewmate.

Either way, the rest of the crew seemed to relax when they walked into the hold with Ruairí being just as loud as normal. He was easily one of the main supports of morale, and the immediate slip into a cheery shanty after he brushed off any questions about his disappearance seemed to calm concerns for now. Perhaps Inej would confront him later to check on him, though it was more likely he'd seek her out to explain himself. He always seemed to want to be honest with her at the very least.

For now, she sat and listened as he belted the lyrics of whatever song he had picked this time, drowning the storm out.


End file.
